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Austin, Texas – The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) annoucned today that the Oklahoma Victory Dolls All-Star Squad qualified for the 2017 international WFTDA Division 2 Playoffs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Aug 18-20, as the #5 seed. The tournament seeding reflects the June 30 WFTDA rankings, which were based on sanctioned games played through that date.

The Oklahoma Victory Dolls (OKVD) began the 2017 season ranked #67 out of 331 teams, having missed the cutoffs for a playoff invitation in 2016 by only five spots. The All-Stars will enter playoffs ranked at #45 worldwide after going 16-1 throughout the season and leaving Greeley, Colorado’s Mayday Mayhem tournament as champions.

Surprisingly, the Oklahoma Victory Dolls had a somewhat rocky start to the season, beginning with a merger between them and the more established Oklahoma City Roller Derby – a merger that almost wasn’t. OKVD All-Star Captain Kaley Meyer a.k.a. “Trigger Trixie”, was initially a little concerned, but those fears proved to be unfounded. “Once we started in,” she says, “you could tell everyone had this desire for more out of themselves and out of their league.” Meyer adds, “We quickly fell into this single goal, this mindset that we all wanted to grow. I think that both sides fed off this desire that went from a rumble to a roar.”

By any measurement, the merger itself has been a huge success for OKVD and a big step forward for roller derby in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Victory Dolls Head Coach Ralph Mackenzie agrees. “Once we started practicing together, the camaraderie that developed quickly overshadowed any questions about how these one-time rivals would perform as a team.”

The league’s motto for the 2017 season, “relentless”, certainly seems fitting, and their success is well-earned. Coach Mackenzie, however, is quick to remind his team that there is still a lot of work to do, now and for the future of OKVD. “We can continue to build momentum, by acknowledging that our work is ahead of us and if we want to keep getting better, we have to relentlessly pursue it. We have to accept that the moment you stop chasing it, someone else will pass you by.”

Marking its 12th year of pushing the sports athleticism and competition to new heights, the international WFTDA Playoffs and Championships bring together the most talented, highly trained skaters and teams from WFTDA member leagues. Whether participating on the track, cheering in the stands or watching online, WFTDA tournaments provide everyone who loves roller derby an opportunity to witness the most anticipated match-ups of the year.

The following teams will be joining the Oklahoma Victory Dolls in Pittsburgh on Aug 18-20 to compete for advancement through two eight-team brackets to the Championship games that will cap off the three-day event:

Auld Reekie Roller Girls, Edinburgh, United Kingdoms

Tucson Roller Derby, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.

Paris Rollergirls, Paris, France

Jet City Rollergirls, Everett, Washington, U.S.

Oklahoma Victory Dolls, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.

Middlesbrough Roller Derby, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom

Boston Roller Derby, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

Ohio Roller Derby, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

No Coast Derby Girls, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.

Pirate City Rollers, Auckland, New Zealand

Columbia Quad Squad, Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.

Naptown Roller Derby, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Treasure Valley Rollergirls, Boise, Idaho, U.S.

Bear City Roller Derby, Berlin, Germany

E-Ville Roller Derby, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Dublin Roller Derby, Dublin, Ireland

The International WFTDA Playoffs and Championships offer five weekends of full-contact competition. Catch a preview of tournament action and see archives of past footage at youtube.com/thewftda. Clips for use in broadcast are available by request.

Learn how to join the action in Pittsburgh, at the WFTDA Championships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nov. 3-5, or at any of the WFTDA postseason events at the wftda.com/tournaments. Those who can’t make the trip can still cheer on the Oklahoma Victory Dolls from home via the WFTDA’s broadcast channel: WFTDA.tv

About The WFTDA: The Women’s Flat Track Association is the international governing body for the sport of women’s flat track roller derby and a membership organization for leagues to collaborate and network. The WFTDA sets standards for rules, seasons, and safety, and determines guidelines for the international athletic competitions of member leagues. There are currently 405 WFTDA member leagues and 41 affiliated leagues in the WFTDA Apprentice program worldwide. The WFTDA is governed by a five-member, volunteer Board of Directors and managed by an Executive Director.

Check out this awesome article written by The Derby Apex about us!

Oklahoma City Community College shone some spotlight on one of our skaters Punchy!

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